Chandrani Sarkar, Ph.D., a cancer researcher at USA Health Mitchell Cancer Institute and an assistant professor of pathology at the Frederick P. Whiddon College of Medicine, is the principal investigator on a four-year, $946,000 grant from the American Cancer Society (ACS) to investigate how immune cells are regulated in colon cancer.
Colon cancer is among the most common cancers in both men and women, and its high mortality rate stems largely from its ability to metastasize, or spread, to other organs. While localized colon cancer carries a five-year survival rate for nearly 90%, that figures falls to just 15% for patients with metastatic disease, according to ACS data.
Sarkar’s research centers on macrophages, a cellular component of the tumor microenvironment. Tumor-associated macrophages play a key role in cancer progression and metastasis. By studying how they are regulated, Sarkar and her team aim to identify ways to “re-educate” these cells to fight cancer instead of fueling its progression.
Collaborators on the project are Debanjan Chakroborty, assistant professor of pathology; Guillermo Herrera, professor and chair of pathology; Richard Honkanen, professor and chair of biochemistry and molecular biology; Paramahansa Pramanik, assistant professor of math and statistics; and Ahmed Abdalla, assistant professor of interdisciplinary clinical oncology.